» Job: Astronomer» Salary range: Starts at $30,000 to $40,000» Education, training required: Degree in physics, astrophysics or astronomy, Ph.D. in astronomy or physics, then several years postdoctoral work» Employment statistics: The American Astronomical Society lists 50 professional astronomers in the Huntsville area; there are more than 6,000 nationwide.

The end of the solar system, to be precise. He explains to 13 students in a small classroom how the sun will eventually run out of fuel, collapsing in on itself. Using advanced mathematical formulae and terms like "megameter" and "gigameter," he proves that the sun, and with it our small planet, will inevitably end.

The apocalypse, it turns out, is an algebraic equation.

Miller, professor of physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, is no stranger to the classroom. He supervises three graduate students and teaches one or two classes a day. But he's had more than enough experience on the other side of the desk.

"You do have to study a lot," he says. "I first realized I wanted to be an astronomer back in the 11th grade. I was in college four years, graduate school six years and then another four doing postdoc work."

Miller was quicker than most Ð the National Optical Astronomy Observatories estimates that on average, professional astronomers study for 16 years after high school.

Now he specializes in solar astronomy. "The sun is seen as a bit boring as astrophysical objects go," says Miller. "It's not as sexy as a black hole or a neutron star." But, says Miller, the sun's sheer size and proximity to Earth make it relevant.

"At the moment, we're looking at the inner workings of solar flares," he says. Solar flares are massive explosions on the surface of the sun that blow massive particles into space. They cause the Northern Lights. They also cause all kinds of communications problems. "Companies with satellites want to be able to predict solar flares," says Miller. "It's much easier to get funding for research if it has a practical application.

"Some astronomers build detection devices, others collect data. What I do is look at this data, and try and work out the physical reasons for why we see what we see," says Miller. He is now analyzing data from the NASA Satellite RHESSI, the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager. Dr. Reuven Ramaty, who recently died of Lou Gehrig's disease, was Miller's Ph.D. supervisor.

It's a competitive field. "The number of jobs is scarce compared to the number of astronomers," Miller says. "There are typically 100 to 150 applicants for every faculty post." And after 14 years of studying and 10 years of teaching, he has hit a ceiling. "Unless I had ambitions to be a university administrator, there's really nowhere left to go."

But for now, he's happy where he is. "Astronomy is not about looking through telescopes anymore," he says. Much of his time is spent in front of a computer. But it's rewarding work. "I get to learn a new thing every day."